Mediation India

Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Declines Supreme Court Lok Adalat Mediation Proposal in Gyanvapi Dispute

Published 2026-07-15 1 source Community Mediation India Mediation Religious Property Disputes Supreme Court India India

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TL;DR

  • Anjuman Intezamia Masajid has declined mediation for the Gyanvapi dispute.
  • The Supreme Court proposed a Lok Adalat mediation initiative.
  • The mosque committee says the issue is too sensitive for settlement outside court.
  • Pending cases will proceed through the judicial process.

Overview

The Anjuman Intezamia Masajid, which manages the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, has publicly declined a Supreme Court proposal to resolve the ongoing Gyanvapi dispute through Lok Adalat mediation, citing the sensitivity of the matter and a preference for judicial adjudication.

What Happened

On July 13, 2026, S.M. Yasin, joint secretary of Anjuman Intezamia Masajid (AIM), announced that the mosque management committee had collectively decided not to participate in a Supreme Court-facilitated mediation initiative scheduled as part of the upcoming Special Lok Adalat in August.

The Supreme Court's 'Samadhan Samaroh 2026' initiative had invited litigants, including those involved in the Gyanvapi dispute, to participate in pre-conciliation meetings targeting alternative dispute resolution.

AIM cited that the dispute over the Gyanvapi mosque, including related issues under the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, should only be settled through the formal court process.

The mosque committee reiterated its claim over the mosque and stated there was no justification for entering conciliation or mediation regarding the ongoing litigation.

Context

Several cases related to the Gyanvapi mosque are pending in courts, the oldest being an original suit from 1991 seeking mosque removal from the site. More recent cases involve demands for the right to worship at the Gyanvapi complex and have led to court-ordered Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) surveys and other judicial actions.

There have been no major recent developments in the pending cases in 2025, and multiple parties continue to seek inclusion in ongoing litigation.

Why It Matters

  • The refusal of the mosque management to participate in mediation ensures that ongoing litigation over the Gyanvapi mosque will remain within the formal judicial process.
  • The report underscores that alternative dispute resolution may not be viable for certain highly sensitive religious property cases in India.

Sources

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